


The Roy Harper Saga (Part 2 - 5)

by RichardGraysonPercyJackson



Series: The Acrobat and The Mercenary [76]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Bad friend Roy Harper, Confrontations, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mentioned Catalina Flores, Mentioned Grant Wilson, Mentioned Mirage, Mirakuru Slade Wilson, Parent Roy Harper, Possessive Slade Wilson, Protective Slade Wilson, Roy Harper's a dick, Victim Blaming
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24912595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichardGraysonPercyJackson/pseuds/RichardGraysonPercyJackson
Summary: Chapter 1 - Roy Harper Saga: Part IIChapter 2 - Roy Harper Saga: Part IIIChapter 3 - Roy Harper Saga: Part IVChapter 4: Roy Harper Saga: Part V
Relationships: Dick Grayson/Slade Wilson, Roy Harper/Koriand'r
Series: The Acrobat and The Mercenary [76]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1323779
Comments: 38
Kudos: 280





	1. Roy Harper Saga: Part II

**Author's Note:**

> Rape jokes and victim blaming are not funny and if you make them, you're seriously an asshole.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After hearing Dick on the phone with who Slade can only guess is either Jason Todd or Roy Harper, the mercenary tracks down the archer to have a little chat with him and his girlfriend.

_ “Fuck you _ !”

There wasn’t much that could draw Slade’s attention from his book or research for a contract but his husband spitting curse words back in the bedroom was certainly one of those things. 

He looked up from his tablet, eyebrow raised, as he glanced down the hall towards the bedroom and called,

“Richard?”

There was no reply for a moment before Slade heard a reply, evidently called through clenched teeth.

“Fine, sorry. On the phone. Be out in a minute.”

On the phone with only one of five people, since Slade knew there was barely a handful who could piss Dick off that much that he cursed quite that loudly.

Slade’s bets were either on Jason or that Harper boy, one the mercenary had yet to stop by and visit so they could chat about the archer’s words to Dick in light of the Mirage incident.

Dick did not know Slade was privately speaking with - threatening - his old team about their actions and words after said incident and if Slade played his cards right, Dick would never know. It wasn’t lying per se, it was just…

Lying.

“Take your time,” Slade called back calmly, propping his feet up on the coffee table and turning his attention back to his tablet while keeping an ear out in case he needed to intervene. Of course, after that he didn’t hear another damn thing and couldn’t really decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing. 

The shout of anger and subsequent sound of Dick’s phone being thrown into the wall answered Slade’s question and a moment later, the acrobat stormed out, fury in his eyes.

“Is everything-”

“Leave me alone,” Dick muttered as he stormed out of the apartment and slammed the door behind himself. Slade pressed his lips together, placing one arm on the back of the couch as he turned and watched, waiting. Just as he predicted, Dick returned a few seconds later with his head bowed.

“Forget something?” Slade asked conversationally.

Dick shot him a dark look as he vanished into the bedroom, returning a moment later with sneakers on and his cracked phone in hand as well as his keys.

“I’ll be back later,” he muttered before vanishing through the door again. Slade watched him go before slowly turning back to his tablet.

…………………….

It wasn’t until nearly three AM that Dick got home, chucked his keys and wallet onto the floor next to the bed along with his shoes, before climbing into bed and pulling the covers over his head.

Slade watched silently from the bathroom doorway where he stood in a pair of boxers, brushing his teeth and waiting to see what the acrobat was going to do next. When Dick did not emerge from the blankets again, he returned to the bathroom to rinse his mouth out and remove his eyepatch before getting into bed as well.

“Richard-”

“Good night.”

Slade didn’t push it.

………………………………………

“You’re Roy Harper, right?”

Roy looked up, frowning at the older man taking an uninvited seat next to him at the bar.

“Maybe,” he replied cautiously. “Who wants to know?”

“A concerned friend of a friend,” the man replied, holding out a hand. “Call me Robin.”

_ Strange name for a man who looks like he could bench press a school and give Superman a run for his money. _ Roy thought to himself as he tentatively returned the handshake.

“Right,” he said slowly, shifting in his seat and trying not to wince at the man’s hard grip. “Yeah, I’m Roy. You’re friends with a friend of mine?”

“Dick Grayson.”

“Oh, yeah Dick,” Roy replied, nodding. “How is he?”

_ He’d be better if you weren’t such a fucking asshole.  _ “Great.”

“Yeah? He was kinda being a little shit when we hung out a few weeks ago.”

_ I wonder why. _ “Bad week.”

Roy scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Ha, yeah whatever.”

_ If you weren’t Dick’s ‘friend’ and there weren’t witnesses all around us, I swear to god I would shoot you in the head right now. _

“Does Grayson never have bad weeks?”

“Oh I’m sure he does, he’s human after all,” Roy replied. “But ever since we were kids, he puts himself on this fucking pedestal and acts like he’s better than everyone else. Like he’s perfect or something.” Roy rolled his eyes. “What sort of perfect asshole cheats on his girlfriend?”

_ I am this close to ripping your dick off with my bare hands and shoving it down your throat. _

…………………………………..

After several agonizingly painful hours with Roy ‘asshole’ Harper, Slade bid him farewell and went to his car.

Then he followed him home.

………………………………..

He stayed crouched on the rooftop of the building across from Harper’s, watching from a window as he and the Tameranian Princess had dinner and sat together on the couch. When they both went to the bedroom to get ready for the evening was when Slade silently slipped through living room window and took a seat on the couch.

Maybe five minutes later, he heard a door open down the hall and a figure head towards the living room. Fortunately it was Harper. Unfortunately, it was not  _ the _ Harper that Slade wanted to talk to.

“Hi,” the little girl said quietly, evidently not at all terrified of the man with guns and swords sitting on her couch.

Slade inclined his head in her direction. “Hello.”

“I’m Lian.”

He removed his helmet as she came closer, wondering if this child had inherited her single brain cell from her father or if the two of them shared it.

“My name is Slade.”

“You’re married to Uncle Dick, right?”

Ah. That would explain why she wasn’t afraid of him as she climbed up on the couch to sit next to him.

“I am,” Slade confirmed. “Did he tell you?”

“Yeah but he has a buncha pictures of you in his phone,” Lian explained, looking Slade over before saying, “You sit in your underwear a lot.”

“I suppose I do.”

“My daddy does too.”

“Yeah?”

“But I’m not supposed to know that so don’t tell him,” she whispered, looking over her shoulder to make sure her father wasn’t nearby. “What are you doing here? Is Uncle Dick here?”

“No, I’m here to talk to your father actually,” Slade explained. 

“Why? Daddy and Miss Princess Kori don’t know you and Uncle Dick are married.”

Slade hadn’t thought so but it was nice to have confirmation. “Well, your daddy said some mean things to your Uncle Dick and I wanted to talk to him about that.”

Lian’s eyes went wide. “Daddy made Uncle Dick sad?”

“Yes, he did. Very sad.”

Lian pressed her lips together, looking back towards the hall before climbing close and whispering,

“Don’t tell daddy, but when Uncle Dick left last time, he was crying.”

_ I’m going to kill him. _ “Well that’s not nice.”

“No, it’s sad.”

“Do you think you can go tell your daddy someone’s here to see him?” Slade asked. “Don’t tell him who though, okay?”

“Okay,” Lian chirped as he climbed off the couch and headed towards the hall. “By Uncle Slade.”

Slade blinked at the title and stared after her for a few moments before shaking his head and resigning himself to waiting patiently.

………………………..

“How the hell did you get in here?”

“I’m a world known mercenary, how do you think?” Slade drawled as he lazily eyed the archer. “We need to talk.”

“I’m calling the cops.”

“About Dick.” Roy froze so Slade added, “You were just whining to  _ Robin _ about him, surely you can spare a few minutes to listen to  _ me _ now.”

Roy swallowed thickly, turning to face Slade and mumbled, “You’re Robin.”

“I had hoped you would have figured it out sooner,” Slade drawled as he stood from the couch. “Now go get your girlfriend and come sit.”

“Why?”

“Because we need to talk.”

“I don’t take orders from you. What have you done to Dick?”

“Boy, I do not care that there is a child in this home, I  _ will _ gut you if you and your perfect princess are not seated on this couch in thirty seconds.”

Roy narrowed his eyes. “Make me.”


	2. Roy Harper Saga: Part III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slade forces Kori and Roy to confront their victim blaming of his husband

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There isn't graphic description of rape but it is mentioned quite a lot through the entire chapter and victim blaming is mentioned and Slade gives a brief overview of the incidents.
> 
> Just a warning so please read at your own risk

_ Previously - The Roy Harper Saga Part II:  _

_ Roy swallowed thickly, turning to face Slade and mumbled, “You’re Robin.” _

_ “I had hoped you would have figured that out sooner,” Slade drawled as he stood from the couch. “Now go get your girlfriend and come sit.” _

_ “Why?” _

_ “Because we need to talk.” _

_ “I don’t take orders from you. What have you done to Dick?” _

_ “Boy, I do not care that there is a child in this home, I will gut you if you and your perfect princess are not seated on this couch in thirty seconds.” _

_ Roy narrowed his eyes. “Make me.” _

……………………………

NOW

“Now,” Slade drawled, flexing his fingers as Roy peeled himself off the floor, one eye on the way to swelling shut while Kori stood nearby, on the defensive but no less injured than the archer. “Sit down and listen.”

“What have you done to Richard?” Kori asked as she stepped forward and placed a hand on Roy’s shoulder, stopping the archer from getting his ass kicked. Again.

“You don’t get to ask the questions right now,” Slade told her. “Sit. Down.”

“Don’t tell her-”

“Roy,” Kori murmured before looking to Slade. “If we do as you say, will you tell us what you’ve done with Richard?”

_ No.  _ “Maybe.”

“If you’ve hurt him-”

“Between the three of us, I think I’m the on that’s hurt him the least,” Slade said as Kori tugged Roy towards the couch by his unbroken arm. “Ironic, I think.”

“What do you want?” Roy growled once he and Kori were seated.

“We’re going to play a game,” Slade explained. “Your guilt and answers will determine whether or not I slaughter you at the end.”

“You can’t,” Roy snarled. “There’s a  _ child _ down the hall!”

“You think I care?”

“What do you want?” Kori asked softly.

“Let’s say you’re fifteen,” Slade began, jumping right into his questions as he crossed his arms over his chest to hide his hands, shaking in rage. “You're just a kid. Your girlfriend comes in and asks you for sex. What’s your immediate response?”

“What the hell is this-” Roy cut himself off, face going white when Slade pulled out a gun and aimed it at the archer’s forehead, removing the safety.

“I already said I don’t give a shit that there’s a kid down the hall,” the mercenary said camly, expression empty. “So answer the damn question. You’re fifteen. Your girlfriend comes in your room, in a place where you are meant to be safe, and asks you for sex. What. Do. You. Do?”

Swallowing thickly and knowing that even with Kori’s powers, Roy didn’t have his bow and Deathstroke was a damn good shot. Even if Kori could have moved fast enough, the archer refused to subject his daughter to whatever bloodshed the mercenary might cause.

“If she wanted sex and I did too, we’d have sex.”

“Yeah?” Deathstroke asked, never lowering his gun or removing the safety. “You wouldn’t investigate first, make sure it was actually your girlfriend, wouldn't question her until you were one hundred percent sure?”

“It’s a place I’m safe, man, of course it’s my girlfriend.”

“But what if you find out she was a shapeshifter? She tells your friends you cheated on your girlfriend with her and willingly had sex with her.”

“That would not count as cheating,” Kori said quietly, one hand still on Roy’s arm. “You did not consent to having sex with the shapeshifter.”

“But you didn’t investigate,” Slade said calmly. “You just assumed it was your girlfriend. You’re a hero, you should have known better.”

“If the hypothetical person was just fifteen then they’re just a kid,” Roy snapped. “Kids, especially boys, can’t think past their hormones. Not that you would ever know.”

“Your body reacted, surely you wanted it.” Slade felt sick recounting this, thinking of the pain and terror Dick must have gone through after the reality of what had happened set in. And no doubt the crushing guilt that pooled inside him was all due to the two in front of the mercenary.

“This isn’t funny, Deathstroke, you’re talking about rape.”  _ What have you done to Dick, what have you done to Dick, what have you done to Dick? _

“New question,” Slade said, putting the safety back on but keeping his finger on the trigger and thumb on the safety, gun aimed at Harper to make sure the boy didn’t get any thoughts. “Let’s say you’re eighteen. A man dies in front of you, someone  _ you _ could have protected but you stood aside and let him die. You’re shocked, traumatized, and the girl who killed the man takes you by the hand and takes you to the roof, for sex.”

“That wouldn’t be sex, I couldn’t consent.”

“Are you sure?” Slade asked. “Your body is reacting to her and you’re not fighting her off. You’re a man, you’re a hero, you’re stronger than her. Who cares if you hurt her. She’s a murderer, surely you’re strong enough to fight back. But your body reacted and you didn’t do shit so you obviously wanted it.”

“That’s not sex, Deathstroke, that’s rape,” Roy snapped, stomach sinking as his mind ran wild with reasons Deathstroke might be asking these questions.

_ What does this have to do with Dick? Oh god, what if he raped _ -

“Now let’s say you’re twenty-three. You’re happily married to a man who has three children of his own. None of them like him but they’re more or less okay with you. But then one day, the eldest kidnaps you. He says his father is brainwashing you but he’s going to free you. He breaks your hands and chains you up and-” Slade had to take a long, slow breath here, blood racing so fast he  _ actually _ had to lower his gun arm because he didn’t trust himself to lose control and shoot Harper in the head before he was finished talking. “Your husband’s son has sex with you. Again and again and again to break the brainwashing. Obviously you’re consenting because-”

“None of these scenarios are consensual situations!” Roy shouted, jumping to his feet and cutting Deathstroke off.

“Why not?” Slade asked. “Your body reacted and you didn’t fight back. You wanted it.”

“No, there was no consent given,” Roy snarled, hands shaking in anger and fear. Anger that Deathstroke would ever imply that rape was consensual sex and fear of just what the mercenary had done to his best friend. “That’s not sex, that’s rape! All of it!”

“Really?” Slade asked, voice dangerously calm. “Then why is it different for Dick Grayson?”

Roy stilled, staring at him in confusion. “What?”

“Every single situation I just described to you,” Slade said calmly. “Is a situation Dick Grayson has been through.”

“No, you’re-you’re wrong.”

“Are you sure?” Slade asked calmly. “Didn’t he have sex with the shapeshifter Mirage when he was fifteen? Cheating on your Princess, in the meantime? Didn’t you tell him that he should have known better? That he should have seen that it wasn’t her? Shouldn’t have let himself be tricked?”

Roy felt sick. “You’re lying.”

“I’m not.” Slade put his gun away. “When he was eighteen years old, Blockbuster was killed by Catalina Flores, a woman Richard was training at the time. You know how he feels about murder and he’d just essentially stepped aside and let Flores kill him.”

“Stop.”

“Obviously he was consensual in their love making on the rooftop because he reacted-”

“You’re  _ lying _ !”

Slade darted forward faster than Roy could react and the archer let out a very undignified squeak as the mercenary’s hand closed around his throat, pulling him close.

“Think long and hard about the  _ joke _ you made to him when you spent time together some weeks ago,” he said calmly, quietly, ignoring the way Roy struggled and Kori leapt to her feet, eyes glowing though she couldn’t do anything with Roy so close to the mercenary. “You have no  _ idea _ the sort of things that boy has been through.”

“Then how do you?” Kori asked softly.

Slade looked over at her, releasing Roy as he straightened up. “He’s my husband,” he replied. “I am the one he tells when he supposed friends make jokes about the first time he was ever raped. I am the one who holds him and comforts him when a thunderstorm forces him to relive the second time. I am the one whose son raped him for a third time.”

“I don’t believe you,” Roy whispered.

“Believe it or not, I don’t care,” Slade snapped. “But maybe pull your head out of your ass long enough to think about every single way your friend reacted when you made those jokes. If you really don’t believe him, then ask yourself why someone raised by Batman would feel the need to lie and say he was raped when a woman claims he cheated.”

“You need to leave,” Kori said softly. “Now.”

Slade shot her a look before grabbing his helmet from the coffee table and turning to walk away. As he reached the front door, he turned and added,

“That boy loves with every fibre of his heart. So next time, before you make jokes about that night, ask yourself why you believed a shape shifting villain over him.”

He left the princess and archer, whatever self-control he had left being the only reason he didn’t slam the door.

…………………………….

“What did you do?”

Slade calmly looked up from his book where he was lounging in bed that night to find Dck frowning at him from the bedroom doorway, his phone and newly replaced screen held in his hand.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“You did something,” Dick replied, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms over his chest. “You were weirdly clingy and cuddly when you got back from whatever you went to do today.”

“Am I not allowed to cuddle my husband?”

“Not without me asking first and not without whining like Damian and Jason,” Dick replied. “So what did you do?”

Slade watched him silently before replying, “Something I should have done a long time ago.”

“Did you kill someone?”

“No.”

“Did you  _ want _ to?”

_ Yes _ . “...”

Dick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Is this something that I am eventually going to have to deal with?”

_ Hopefully _ . “Admittedly, I’m not sure,” Slade replied. “If things turn out right, yes. If not, well, then no.”

“Great, that’s so helpful,” Dick mumbled. “Thanks Slade, I’ll lie in bed tonight thinking about that instead of sleeping.”

“You’re welcome.”

Dick rolled his eyes.


	3. Roy Harper Saga: Part IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three days after Deathstroke breaks in to threaten Roy and Kori, Roy makes his way to Dick's apartment to find out the truth.
> 
> He doesn't do a very good job.

“Where are you going?” Kori asked, looking up from where she was cleaning up the mess in the living room from Deathstroke’s invasion a few days earlier.

“Dick hasn’t been answering his phone,” Roy said as he tugged on his shirt and shoved his compact bow into an inside pocket. “I need to go make sure he’s okay.”

Kori pressed her lips together. “Do you think Deathstroke was telling the truth?” she asked quietly. “About them being married? About...what happened to Dick?”

“No,” Roy said, hesitating for a moment. “Yeah, maybe about what happened when we were kids but they’re not married. They can’t be.”

“Do you know where Dick lives?”

“Yeah.”

“Be safe, okay?” Kori murmured.

Roy paused at the door, looking over at her before sighing,

“Look, I’ll talk to Dick, okay?” he said. “I’ll find out if Deathstroke was telling the truth.”

“What if he was?” the princess asked quietly. “We’ve been so horrible.”

“He should have told us then.”

“He did.”

“He should have  _ pressed _ .”

Kori remained silent, watching as Roy slipped out before she whispered, “He did.”

………………………………………..

Roy drummed his fingers on his thigh as he waited impatiently for Dick to answer his door. The entire drive to the acrobat’s apartment had been spent wondering if anything Deathstroke had said was true. Yeah, okay, in hindsight the incident with Mirage probably wasn’t really cheating. And yeah, picking Mirage over Dick was...a dick move, but it wasn’t like Dick tried very hard for very long to insist on the truth.

_ He did. _ Some dark part of Roy’s mind whispered.  _ He tried and tried and you just didn’t even listen. _

Roy shook away his thoughts just as he heard footsteps on the other side of the door, in the apartment, and instantly felt worry flood into his gut.

Those footsteps were too heavy to be Dick.

And then Slade Wilson opened the door. “Good afternoon, Roy,” he greeted, a small smile threatening at the corner of his lips as he stepped aside and gestured for Roy to enter. “I don’t think we were expecting you.”

Roy took a few steps into the apartment, turning to keep Slade in his line of sight as he snarled,

“What have you done to Dick?”

Slade merely chuckled, walking over to drop on the couch and grab a tablet while he called,

“Dick, there’s a friend to see you!”

“Just a second.”

“What did you do? Brainwashing?” Roy hissed, placing his hands on the back of the couch and leaning over Slade’s shoulder to glower at the mercenary who kept his attention on his tablet. “Mind control?”

Finally, the mercenary looked up at Roy, something glinting in his single eyes as he said,

“I would think, after our discussion a few days ago, you would have learned to keep your mouth shut and not jump to conclusions when you don’t have all the facts.”

Roy’s face burned at the reminder and he was straightening up from the couch just as Dick came from the hall, a frown on his face as soon as he saw Roy.

“Hi Roy,” he greeted, almost instantly defensive. “What are you doing here?”

“I…” Roy looked over at Slade. “What is he doing here?”

Slade looked at him over his shoulder. “I live here, kid. I’ve got more of a right to be in this apartment then you do.”

“Slade’s, that’s enough,” Dick muttered, waving a hand at the mercenary. “Don’t antagonize him.”

“He’s lying, right?” Roy asked. “He’s not living here. Because you two hate each other. You’d never-”

“I know you’re stupid, Harper, but-”

“Slade,  _ enough _ !” Dick shouted, causing Roy to jump in surprise. The acrobat pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a moment to breath before he looked up and placed his hands on his hips. “If you’re just going to aggravate him, I think you need to leave the room.”

Slade shot Roy an unreadable look before getting up and tucking his tablet under his arm. As he passed Dick, he paused and leaned down to press a kiss to the acrobat’s forehead and even though he spoke softly, Roy still heard what he said.

“Let me know if he steps out of line.”

Something told him he was supposed to hear it. Roy watched Dick roll his eyes and wait until Slade had vanished before he looked over at the archer.

“We can talk in the kitchen if you want,” he said, leading Roy over to the kitchen. “Is everything okay?”

“What is he doing here?”

Dick blinked as they sat down at the table. “As much as he was evidently trying to get under your skin,” the acrobat said slowly. “Slade was telling the truth, he does live here.”

“Why?” Roy demanded. And then he saw the ring on Dick’s finger. The acrobat must have noticed where his eyes went because he shifted and placed his right hand over his left, but Roy had already seen. “You’re married.”

“About seven years now,” Dick replied.

Roy swallowed thickly. “You were twenty.”

“Yeah.”

“Did you consent?”

And  _ that _ was probably the wrong question to ask because Dick tensed instantly, right hand gripping his left as he ducked his head and avoided Roy’s gaze as he replied,

“Was there something you wanted, Roy?”

Well now Roy wanted to know just why Dick reacted so poorly but as soon as he opened his mouth to ask why, Deathstroke’s words from two days earlier filtered into his mind.

_ “Think about every single way your friend reacted when you made those jokes. Then ask yourself why someone raised by Batman would feel the need to lie and say he was raped when a woman claims he cheated.” _

_ “That boy loves with every fiber of his heart. So next time, before you make jokes about that night, ask yourself why you believed a shape shifting villain over him. _ ”

Roy felt sick. “Look, Dick, I wanted to…”

“Did Slade say something to you?” Dick asked, finally lifting his head, taking Roy back in shock by the steel in his eyes. “Is that why you’re here?”

“What makes you say that?”

“Because he vanished for awhile a few days ago and he won’t tell me what he did,” Dick replied. “But he did say it’s something I might have to deal with.”

“Right.” Roy shifted, trying to get up the courage to ask about the incident with Mirage. But...maybe Dick didn’t want to talk about it. Wasn’t that something you shouldn’t do, bring up a traumatic event to the victim? Or was Roy just making excuses? He sucked in a breath, clearing his throat before asking, “I’ve been texting you.”

“Slade broke my phone.”

_ And you’re married to him? Fuck, this is domestic abuse isn’t it? Shit. _ “Why?”

“It slipped out of my pocket when I was getting out of his car a few days ago,” Dick said with a shrug. 

“And you never went back to get it?”

“I didn’t realize until I got into the apartment,” DIck replied. “By then he’d already left.”

Roty raised an eyebrow. “He ran over your phone?”

“It was an accident.” Dick glanced over towards the living room before looking back at Roy and saying, “He claims it was an accident, anyway, bu I think it was just an excuse for me to get a phone on his plan instead of Bruce’s.”

_ That is...the pettiest thing I think I’ve ever heard. _ Roy thought to himself. Aloud he just said,

“Wow.”

Dick sighed. “Look, Roy, whatever he said to you he doesn’t mean it,” the acrobat promised. “He just gets…”

_ Possessive? Obsessive? _

“Protective of me sometimes.”

_ That’s an understatement. _ “Listen, Dick-”

“Sorry for the interruption,” Slade said as he stepped into the kitchen just as Roy was about to finally get the courage to ask about the truth behind the night with Mirage. “But your little brother is on the phone, Dick.”

“Which one?”

“The assassin.”

Dick heaved a sigh, taking Slade’s phone as he turned to Roy and said, “I’ll just be a second.” before vanishing to the bedroom. As soon as he was gone, Slade was towering over Roy and suddenly the archer was reminded of just how dangerous this man really was, both in and out of armor.

“When you apologize to him,” Slade said slowly. “You’re going to do it right. You’re not just going to show up at his apartment uninvited, give a quick ‘sorry I’ve been an asshole’ and move on.”

Roy scowled. “I was about to apologize when you felt the need to-”

“No,” Slade said calmly, quietly. “You were going to make him tell you what happened. But you don’t need to because I already did. And making him relive his trauma is not going to help and it’s going to make your apology seem fake. Stale.”

“So what do you suggest I do?” Roy snarled.

“Go home, make a better plan, try again  _ with _ your girlfriend.”

“Or what?”

Slade’s eye flashed. “That’s not something you want to find out.”


	4. Roy Harper Saga: Part V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You hurt him. Now you need to make it up to him.”
> 
> “How?”
> 
> “Figure it out. Or I swear to god, I will make Deathstroke The Terminator look like a saint.

“And don’t even get me started on Deathstroke!” Roy ranted, lounging on the couch with Jason who - admittedly - didn’t seem to be listening much while Kori sat quietly nearby. “Like look, I know Dick’s a goddamn masochist but still-”

Honestly, roy should have seen the punch coming but it still caught him off guard when suddenly Jason was on his feet, hands balled into fists at his sides while Roy rolled around on the ground, clutching his nose which bled from the strike.

“Jason?” Kori asked softly, calm but cautious as well as she got to her feet.

“Fuck you, Harper, you don’t know shit,” Jason whispered as he towered over Roy, looking half a second from beating the archer within an inch of his life, eyes blazing. “Slade told you everything that has happened to Dick, Slade revealed that you’ve been making  _ jokes _ to a rape victim and you still don’t give a shit!”

“What are you talking about?” Roy snapped, pushing himself up and wiping away the blood. “Deathstroke is a murderer.”

“So am I!”

“Deathstroke is different, he doesn’t care about anyone but himself-”

“He’s also my brother-in-law,” Jason said firmly, leaning down to jab a finger in Roy’s chest. “And he’s the only person in Dick’s life who has ever given half a fuck about him and his wellbeing since his parents died!”

“I don’t believe you.”

“If Slade didn’t care, he never would have taken the time to make sure you understood what your ‘jokes’ do to Dick.” 

Jason was  _ actually _ shaking with rage and green had totally taken over the normal turquoise of his eyes and  _ that _ was when Roy realized that he needed to be careful here or Jason might  _ actually _ beat him to death. Swallowing thickly, Roy carefully got to his feet and kept his hands up both in defense but also as a sign of surrender.

“Jason-”

“Slade  _ loves _ Dick. He was the first one to say it and, in hindsight, he’s said it more often in their relationship than Dick has. Yes, he’s obsessive and possessive but that is because Dick has been through so much pain and he still surrounds himself with people like  _ you _ and Kori who blame him for something he’s a victim of, all because the goddamn Batman trained him which means he has to be perfect all the  _ fucking _ time!”

Jason was screaming at this point, his chest was heaving and fury making his blood boil as he glared at the man who had once been Dick’s best friend, once known  _ everything _ there was to know about the acrobat. Now it seemed he’d turned his back on all of that.

“How much do you know?”

“I know more than Dick thinks.”

“How do you know Slade cares?”

“I told him about Mirage and Catalina.”

“What did he do?”

“He killed Mirage.”

Roy’s eyes went wide. He hadn’t known that. “Wha-”

“Slade was the one who asked Dick out on a date,” Jason began listing off. “Slade was the one who said I love you first. Slade was the one who proposed. Slade was the one who organized for Tim and Damian and I to be at their wedding. Slade was the one who respects Dick. Slade is the one who makes sure Dick is happy. Slade is the one who made Dick realize that he was not the failure all his other relationships made him think he was. Slade is the one who made Dick realize that the night with Mirage was  _ never _ his fault.”

Silence fell in the apartment, Jason’s angry pants being the only sound for a long time before Kori quietly said,

“I believed the shape shifter because I was angry. I suppose I felt like, if Richard had truly been...taken advantage of, he would have fought against her as soon as he knew the truth.” she lowered her head. “I...did not know much of anything in the ways of sexual assault back then and I will admit, I still do not know much. I did not understand how truly it can affect you. But after Richard fled after Mirage, once I’d calmed down and thought it through, I looked into it.”

Understanding clicked in Roy’s head - Jason’s too, but he was still too pissed to speak without incoherently screaming - and he murmured,

“That’s why you always said you’ve forgiven him,” he said softly. 

“I suppose that was never the way I meant,” Kori admitted. “It was not he who should ask for forgiveness from me, but I should have asked forgiveness from him.”

“Why didn’t you ever say anything?” Jason snapped, balling his hands into fists as he turned his anger towards her.

“I tried, once,” Kori admitted, glancing over at Roy before murmuring, “It only brought more jokes.”

Roy remembered that night. Intimately. He also recalled how drunk he’d been, not thinking but still furious about what had happened.

How could he say those things?

“You know what I think makes your jokes worse, Roy?” Jason asked, finally having managed to more or less calm himself down though he still teetered on the edge of madness. “You and Dick were in a relationship, weren’t you? When you were younger?”

Oh god they had been. Oh fuck they  _ had _ been.

“Fuck,” he whispered as he sunk down on the couch and buried his face in his hands, finally able to see all the hurt and pain Dick had been giving off wehn Roy joked, the expressions Roy had always marked off as being too serious and too sensitive. “Fuck, what have I done?”

“You hurt him,” Jason said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Now you need to make it up to him.”

“How?”

“Figure it out. Or I swear to god, I will make Deathstroke The Terminator look like a saint.”

…………………………………

“Princess Koriand’r,” Slade greeted when he opened the apartment door, no small amount of sarcasm in his tone. “What a pleasant surprise.”

“I hope this is alright,” she said as she looked up at him. “I texted Richard earlier and asked if I could come over and talk.”

“He did say he was having someone over,” Slade mused as he stepped aside and allowed the Tameranian entrance. “He’s having a nap in the bedroom, I’ll go get him.”

“If he’s resting-”

“No, just avoiding his problems,” Slade corrected as he headed down the hall. Kori nodded, pressing her lips together as she looked around the apartment. It was clear right off the bat that they were married, if mostly due to the wedding picture on the wall but also by the cleanliness.

In all the time she’d known the acrobat, he’d never been one to be quite so tidy as this room was. It had taken some time after Deathstroke’s break in and Roy’s return for Kori to finally come to the acceptance that Richard and Slade Wilson were married. At first, it had been a strange concept but when she’d truly taken a step back to think about it, she was glad Richard had finally found someone who cared about him as deeply as Deathstroke did.

It was a strange match but a match all the same.

“Kori, hey. Sorry, I was laying in bed and just kinda fell asleep.”

“It is no problem, I know you do not sleep as much as you should,” Kori said as she turned to greet her friend. After a brief hug - one that once would have been so much longer - they broke apart and Kori gestured to the photograph she’d been looking at. “Was this at your wedding? Where did you have it?”

“Yeah, it was,” Dick replied. “We had it in Paris.”

“May I ask who attended?”

“Well, Tim and Damian and Jason did,” Dick listed off. “Jason actually got ordained so he could marry us.”

“That is very sweet.” Kori hesitated for a moment before asking, “Did any of...Mr. Wilson’s children attend?”

Dick shifted and Kori was instantly reminded of how Deathstroke had said one of his children had kidnapped and assaulted the acrobat. She opened her mouth to apologize but was cut off by Dick.

“His daughter Rose and youngest son Joey were there,” Dick replied. “His eldest, Grant, didn’t like me much.”

Kori feared that was an understatement but she didn’t say it. After the two moved to the couch and spent a few minutes talking and catching up, Kori cleared her throat and shifted to sit up straight, Dick unconsciously mimicking her posture, something he had often done back when they’d been dating.

“I want to apologize,” she began, forcing her voice to hold confidence with no room for fear or worry. “Your husband came to Roy and I a few days ago and informed us...that the jokes Roy had been making about Mirage were cruel.”

Dick groaned. “Of course he did,” he muttered, sighing. “Look, Kori-”

“Roy made the jokes, but I was still a part of it,” Kori declared, reaching out to place a hand over Dick’s, glancing down at the acrobat’s blue and orange ring. “After...after I calmed down, after Mirage, I looked into the word you had used. What you claimed had happened.”

Beneath her hand, Dick’s clenched on his jeans but she kept his gaze locked with hers and hoped he could see the honesty in her eyes.

“I should never have believed her,” Kori declared firmly, giving Dick’s hand a squeeze. “Not over you. You are not a liar, Dick Grayson, and I should have known that. I  _ did _ know that, yet I let my feelings get in the way of the truth and for years, I was too afraid to bring it up. For that, I am sorry. I am sorry for believing her over you and I am sorry for never saying anything in the last twelve years. I am sorry I let Roy continue to make jokes that I knew, that I could see, were hurting you. You are my friend and I have always valued our friendship.” at this, she ducked her head and added, “I see now that I did not value it enough.”

She kept her head lowered as a sign of respect and true apology, finding herself shocked when Dick pulled her into a hug.

“It’s alright,” he said softly. “I forgive you.”

She hugged him back quickly, looking up to find Deathstroke standing nearby, watching. When he noticed she’d spotted him, he gave her a short nod before slipping quietly back down the hall.

Kori had received his approval and evidently her apology had passed his test.

Now it was Roy’s turn.

………………………………….

When Kori returned to the apartment, she was both shocked and not shocked to find Roy looking that he’d been in a car crash and Jason sitting on the couch with a first aid kit in his lap as he bandaged his split knuckles.

She debated saying something before deciding that Roy could handle himself. He’d been friends with Jason long enough that she didn’t need to intervene everytime they got into fist fights. Although, judging by the lack of bruises on Jason’s exposed skin, she would assume it was more of a one-sided beat down than a fight.

“I apologized to Richard.”

“And?” Jason asked without looking up as Kori came around the couch to fish in the first aid kit and move to Roy’s side.

“He forgave me.”

“What about Slade?”

“I passed his test, I suppose,” Kori replied. The living room was silent before she said, “He cares very deeply for Richard.”

“He killed his own son for laying a hand on Dick, I hope he cares about him,” Jason said, shifting and flexing his fingers before passing the first aid kit over to Kori.

The silence returned until Roy muttered, “I’m not apologizing to him.”

Jason stilled. “Excuse me?” he growled. 

“I don’t owe him anything.”

“I swear to fucking god, Harper, if you do not apologize to Dick I am  _ actually _ going to kill you,” Jason snarled.

Roy glowered at him. “I  _ meant _ Deathstroke,  _ dumbass _ ,” he snapped. “I’m not telling him he was right about me hurting Dick with what I’ve said.”

“You apologizing to Dick is enough,” Jason said, eyes flashing a dangerous green that had Roy’s injuries throbbing in warning. “Speaking of, when will you get on that?”

“Well I’m pretty sure I’ve got a broken wrist and a broken ankle,” Roy drawled. “No thanks to  _ somebody _ -”

“It’s sprained, not broken,  _ stupid _ .”

“So I’m going to have to wait until that heals.”

“You know, I don’t think I kicked your ass enough,” Jason snarled. “Cause it seems like there’s still something lose in that empty head of yours.”

“You want me to apologize to Dick, I will,” Roy said, throwing up his hands and instantly letting out a yelp when pain flared in his previously dislocated shoulder. “I will. Just give me some  _ time _ to make sure I do it right.”

“Keep stalling,” Jason said as he got to his feet. “And you’ll find Deathstroke in your room with a gun to your head.”

“He won’t kill me. It would upset Dick.”

“That man is a world renowned mercenary,” Jason reminded the archer. “Making your death look like an accident would be child’s play.”

………………………………

Two weeks later

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Dick hummed, walking over to pluck Slade’s phone out of his hand and carelessly toss it onto the other cusion of the couch as he dropped himself into the mercenary’s lap.

“Sometimes I love that you’re a world class liar,” Dick began, throwing his arms around Slade’s neck and grinning when the mercenary reluctantly dragged his gaze up to meet Dick’s. “But most of the time it’s annoying. Like right now, when something’s obviously wrong but you’re just going to pretend it’s not.”

“You’re an irritation.”

“I know and I thrive on that,” Dick declared, grinning as he pressed a quick kiss to Slade’s cheek. “But we’re talking about your problems right now.”

“I could kill you right here in eight different ways.”

“Slade, don’t get me all hot and bothered.”

“Get. Off.”

As much as Dick enjoyed riling Slade up, there was a certain balance in it which included knowing when he’d pushed the mercenary too far, so the acrobat nodded and bounced up quickly.

“Right,” he said firmly. “I’ll be in the bedroom.”

Slade merely grunted as he picked up his phone and returned to his previous activities.

The blatant dismissal irked Dick but he knew better than to say anything at the moment. Something was obviously wrong and as much as Dick very desperately wanted to know what it was, he knew he was going to have to take a deep breath and wait “patiently” for Slade to come to him instead of trying to force the mercenary to speak.

For now though, Dick knew he needed to just give Slade his space so he headed back to the bedroom, only to freeze instantly at the sight of-

“Hi Roy,” Dick said slowly, raising an eyebrow at the archer, half in the window with a bouquet of flowers in hand. “Can I help you?”

“Um…”

“Or I can walk away and let you keep breaking in,” Dick replied with a shrug. “What’s up?”

“I was hoping to talk to you.” his eyes flicked towards the living room before he murmured, “Alone.”

“You chose a bad day to come, Slade’s in a mood.”

Roy’s eyes went wide, looking Dick over and no doubt searching for bruises. “Did he-”

“Why does everyone assume Slade is abusing me?” Dick whispered, shaking his head. “First the neighbor, now you.”

“The who?”

“What do you want, Roy?” Dick asked, keeping his voice down as he went and closed the bedroom door. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Slade look up before the door closed fully.

“I...came to apologize.”

Dick frowned. “For what?”

Roy sucked in a deep breath, holding it for a moment before offering Dick the flowers.

“Um, so those are for you.”

“Thank you but that doesn’t answer my question,” Dick said calmly, accepting the flowers and setting them down on the dresser next to him. “What are you here to apologize for?”

Roy sucked in a deep breath. “I’ve been a really shit friend.”

Dick sighed. “Roy, you don’t have to apologize.”

“I’m pretty sure your husband will castrate me if I don’t,” Roy replied. “And that’s just if I’m lucky. But...that shouldn’t be the reason I’m apologizing. And it’s not, not really. I used to know everything about you, Dick. I used to know every single one of your tells and I could tell when you were upset long before  _ you _ could. But then you came and told us you’d been hurt and I went along with everyone else to say you were in the wrong.”

“You had feelings for Kori back then,” Dick said. “You felt like you could have treated her better and were blinded by feelings.”

“That doesn’t matter, Dick, you were my friend too. We were together once-”

“It didn’t really count.”

Roy pressed his lips together. “You’re not making this apology easy.”

Dick stared at him before crossing his arms over his chest and declaring, “Well your apology hasn’t been very good so far.”

Roy winced, even as part of him whispered that Dick would apologize for the rude statement. But Dick shouldn’t have had to, because he had a point. So Roy swallowed down the petty feelings and cleared his throat, trying again.

“I’m sorry Kori was more important to me then you were. I’m sorry our relationship never worked out. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you, I’m sorry I made jokes, I’m sorry I kept pushing, I’m sorry I accused you, I’m sorry-”

Roy was cut off by Dick giving him a quick kiss on the cheek and the archer stood there blankly while Dick smiled.

“Thank you, Roy,” he said. “That means a lot to me.”

“I was still a shit friend, I shouldn’t have needed your husband threatening me before I got off my ass and apologized on my own.”

“But you apologized,” Dick pointed out. “That’s what matters.”

“I still should have done it a long time ago.”

“That’s true,” Dick agreed with a smile. “Still. Thank you, Roy.”

“We’re good now?” Roy asked.

Dick nodded. “We’re good.”

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know your thoughts


End file.
